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First Supercharger-Only Coast to Coast Road Trip in a Tesla Model S 60

SamO | 28 Février 2014

Call me Sam. I’ll be your driver for the next week (or so). Guy . . . girl. Doesn’t really matter. This story isn’t about me. This is about a Tesla MS60. And the Supercharging Network.

The smallest battery currently offered by the company, the Model S 60 is the bare bones of their line. Starting at $63,070 (with Supercharging enabled & living in CA), you get free long distance travel, for life. Add in HOV and HOT access (solo) and you are able to drive at a reasonable rate of speed in areas (Bay and SoCal) that rank among the worst commutes in the U.S.

Just so happens that my hometown also offers free metered parking as a perk of living in what some derisively call the Republic of Santa Monica.

This is a story about anyone doing a trip across the country (and back). If you’d consider doing this trip in your gas car at least. Most people never drive cross country. I was going to google the actual percentage, but you can do that yourself. If you care. Which I don’t.

But if you do like to drive, there is no better road warrior that the Model S of any flavor. 14K miles since August 2013 delivery. Cross country is different. A great city car, be it ICE or EV, can turn against you on the open road. Hoses burst and belts snap. Worst of all you run out of fuel. Since the advent of the pure EV, range has been the forbidden five letter word. The MS60 is different.

It has a range of 208 miles which you can extend even beyond that with careful driving. But we’ll come to that later. Can’t get ahead of ourselves. First the route. Hawthorne Supercharger to Virginia Beach VA. And back.

The first half of my journey is complete. I arrived in VA Beach tonight at 7:45PM EST. I drove ~3800 miles and charged using nothing but Tesla Supercharging Stations.

I want to thank everyone that gave me hints, suggestions, and made me laugh along the way. Most of all I want to thank Tesla Motors for making the best car I’ve ever seen, driven or owned.

Tesla, you are changing the world one drive at a time.

Everything is possible in this new world. Sustainable transportation. Free Cross Country Travel. Most of all, you are changing heart and minds. Not through advertising and manipulation. But my making an incredible product that sells itself.

I’m going to sleep 12 hours (at least) and then turn around and come home. If anyone is interested if it is possible, twice, I will continue to post here. I don’t have the numbers yet, and likely won’t for another week. For that, I apologize.

If anyone is interested in meeting along the way, please email me and I’ll do my best to let you know the route and timing.

Wrap Up: So made it back, 7700 miles round trip, from Los Angeles to Virginia and back to Los Angeles. I learned so much about driving the Model S 60 that I don't think I could have learned any other way.

I also made many mistakes along the way. Fortunately, I was cautious with my speed and kept an eye on my range whenever there was a longer distance that needed to be traversed.

I nearly shot myself in the foot once: heavy rains on the climb to Flagstaff coupled with failing to do a range charge taught me the lesson to only leave with at least 25% buffer.

I also learned to pick my spots. Slowing down on a climb and then allowing myself to go +5-10 over the speed limit on the downhill resulted in significant increase in range without reducing my average speed. If the hill was steep enough, I coasted until I reached a designated speed, and then engaged the motor for engine braking and regeneration.

On the topic of regeneration, it is always more efficient to coast. Unless you start to reach an unsafe speed, and then use regeneration.

I think anyone can make the drive I made in an MS60. But it would also be easy to run out of electrons, too. Try to drive from Cheyenne to Silverthorne at 75mph. Even in an 85, that might be tough.

I called the MS60 a road warrior and nothing I've seen over the past 10 days and 7700 miles changed my opinion. I now have a grand total of 22,000 miles since Fremont pickup in August and I look forward to the next 100,000 with alacrity.

I wouldn't trade my car in for any other model in the world. Not an exotic. Not a classic. And not a collector car.

I've been driving for 25 years and I've never experience the sheer joy of being on the road. It's my hope that the feeling of piloting what I affectionately call the "spaceship" never ends.

IndyMS | 1 Mars 2014

Good luck and safe travels! Getting my 60 in about 2 weeks and will anxiously follow your trip!

GeekEV | 1 Mars 2014

Happy travels! I also have an S60 and have contemplated such a drive...

Jamon | 1 Mars 2014

Go Sam, Go! We'll all be cheering you on. Looking forward to the adventure!

akikiki | 1 Mars 2014

Go Go Go Sam. Best to you. We will be watching for your updates.
May the wind be at your back.

SamO | 1 Mars 2014

Still haven't left and can't sleep. Setting the for 5am.

SamO | 1 Mars 2014

Alarm

ChasF | 1 Mars 2014

Good luck Sam! I am looking forward to finally having anecdotal evidence to point to the next time I have to hear "get the 85kWh.....no brainer!"

DieAbetic | 1 Mars 2014

Looking forward to it!

Jamon | 1 Mars 2014

Your Twitter followers have increased by 33% in the last hour! :-)

SamO | 1 Mars 2014

Never had twitter before. But up 33% sounds like TSLA stock ;-)

Tâm | 1 Mars 2014

@sam:

How are you going to get from Flagstaff, AZ to Blanding, UT, with the distance of 249 miles?

Tâm | 1 Mars 2014

@sam

How do you deal with winter driving? Winter tires or tire chains/cables?

hademarco | 1 Mars 2014

Brave soul. Good Luck!

Nicoletta | 1 Mars 2014

Good luck Sam, will be anxiously awaiting every update.

kenj | 1 Mars 2014

You go Sam!

.... all of us with MS 60s are pulling for you.

I think to be fair to OPs that suggest an 85 is a no brainer, the thinking is to get the biggest range you can afford. Get more Range instead of comfort options. You make the logical refinement, if the average total daily drive is less than 150 miles you just do not need to trade comfort for range.

Best of Luck. Kind of wish you were stopping off at JFK Supercharger so I could say hello. Look forward to your trip updates.

Bighorn | 1 Mars 2014

I couldn't get my consumption under 400 Wh/m in 3F temps. Hope for modest temps and maybe we'll cross paths as I return home from Denver tomorrow might. Good luck!

Bonlaw | 1 Mars 2014

Make me stop regretting I got a 60 instead of an 85!

Kling | 1 Mars 2014

No need to regret, think about it... HOW often will you actually need that extra mileage?
If you commute 200 miles in a day there is some serious issue with how far you need to drive. I am pretty sure that with a home 15-40 outlet or charging station probably 99% of the country (nigh, the world!) can get as far as they will ever need to go. Superchargers are awesome, don't get me wrong... But really how often will we NEED them (not want, I want them everywhere so I can stop, read for 30 minutes, and move on)?

You want to feel good about your S60? OK, borrow my Smart Electric with its 62 mile range and drive it for a few days. It gets me to work and back (just barely) and charges on 110v overnight. 200 miles with 1/6th the charging time.. the S60 is all you need.

I'm not bagging on the 85 folks, some folks like the extra security or just want the "best of the best" (my ICE is a Ferrari, so I get it) but the S60 folks have to realize.... you'll probably never need that extra 50-ish miles.

SamO | 1 Mars 2014

Just stopped at Barstow. Thanks to everyone here supporting sustainable transportation. Heavy rains and 4800 foot climb just chewed through the miles but arrived without worry.

tes-s.ct.us | 1 Mars 2014

Everyone will have a time when they wished they had more rang. Makes no difference if it is a Smart Electric, Leaf, MS60, MS85, or MS120.

dbg | 1 Mars 2014

Sam,
How many range miles lost by your climb of 4800 ft?
Have a good trip!